The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust

I became Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie once said. “David Bowie went totally out the window…I got hopelessly lost in the fantasy.” Possibly the first true rock concept album, complete with narrative, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars tells the story of a Martian rock star whose mission is to offer sex and salvation to earthlings. In the climactic “Rock & Roll Suicide,” Ziggy is torn apart by the fans he inspired. With such killer songs as “Suffragette City” and “Moonage Daydream,” Bowie matched his arty, theatrical ambitions with crunching, arena-ready rock, setting in motion the glam rock movement that echoed from Alice Cooper to Marilyn Manson. For the album’s 30th anniversary, a few of Ziggy’s songs were broadcast into space from Roswell, New Mexico, using a high-tech laser beam. We continue to await response from the interstellar rock star community.